A New York City real estate attorney has filed a lawsuit against broker Ryan Serhant, alleging she was not paid her full referral commission in the sale of a Fisher Island home to billionaire Yuri Shefler.
Natalia Sishodia, who leads her own law firm in New York, is seeking $455,000 and a jury trial. Court documents state that Sishodia entered into a referral agreement with Serhant in April 2024. The dispute centers on the sale of 6915 Valencia Drive on Fisher Island in Miami Beach, which closed for $21 million in December. Guilherme Federico bought the 9,400-square-foot mansion, and Serhant agent Mariana Niro represented both parties.
Sishodia claims she was entitled to 25 percent of the $840,000 gross commission from the deal—amounting to $210,000—but only received $105,000. She alleges that Serhant cited an amended agreement as justification for the reduced payment. Her complaint names Serhant and seven of his companies as defendants. The total amount sought includes an additional $105,000 allegedly owed and $350,000 in damages.
Attorneys for Sishodia declined to comment on the case. Andrew Lieb, representing Serhant, confirmed by email that “the broker is seeking to dismiss the case and ‘will let the papers speak for themselves.’”
Legal filings disclosed Shefler’s connection to the property for the first time. Forbes lists Shefler’s net worth at approximately $1.1 billion. He is known as head of SPI Group and its subsidiary Stoli Group.
Shefler has been involved in several high-profile transactions over recent years. In 2015 he sold his superyacht “Serene” for $550 million to Prince Mohammed bin Salman; he also purchased Angelina Jolie’s share of Château Miraval vineyard for $28.4 million in 2022—a transaction that led Brad Pitt to sue Jolie over ownership rights.
The Fisher Island sale was part of Serhant’s expansion into South Florida after opening his office there in 2023. His entry into this market has included legal challenges; Palm Beach Gardens-based Sutter & Nugent sued his brokerage last year over alleged trade secret theft before their suit was dismissed earlier this year.
Serhant has since recruited leading Palm Beach agent Gary Pohrer and is managing an oceanfront land acquisition linked to Microsoft billionaire Charles Simonyi valued at more than $350 million.
An earlier version of this story misidentified the buyer involved in the transaction.
